AKASO Brave 8 Lite vs SJCAM SJ11 Active
In short: The SJCAM SJ11 Active costs $10 less; the AKASO Brave 8 Lite collects light over 28 mm² against 18, which is 1.6× the area; the AKASO Brave 8 Lite goes 10 m deep with no housing against 5 m; the SJCAM SJ11 Active claims 1 h 40 min at 4K30 recording, SJCAM's figure.
| Spec | AKASO Brave 8 Lite | SJCAM SJ11 Active |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$199 | ~$189 |
| Year-one cost | ~$199 | ~$189 |
| Type | Budget action | Budget action |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3-inch | 1/2.8-inch |
| Sensor area | 28 mm² | 18 mm² |
| Max resolution | 4K @ 60fps | 4K @ 30fps |
| Reframed resolution | n/a — already flat | n/a — already flat |
| Max fps at 4K | 60 | 30 |
| Max fps at 1080p | — | 120 |
| Max bitrate | Not published | Not published |
| Colour depth | Not published | Not published |
| Log profile | None | None |
| Stabilisation | SuperSmooth 2.0 | 6-axis gyro EIS |
| Horizon lock | None | None |
| Aperture | Not published | Not published |
| Waterproof | 10 m bare, 40 m cased | 5 m bare, 30 m cased |
| Claimed runtime | 1 h 30 min at 4K60 continuous; 150 minutes at 1080p | 1 h 40 min at 4K30 recording, SJCAM's figure |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | No third-party test collected |
| Battery | 1550 mAh | 1300 mAh |
| Cold rating | — | — |
| Weight | 115 g | 108 g |
| Screens | 1.22-inch front + 2.0-inch rear touch | 1.3-inch front + 2.33-inch rear touch |
| Mount | GoPro folding fingers | GoPro folding fingers |
| Replaceable lenses | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Voice control | No | No |
| Storage | microSD | microSD |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
A highlighted cell is the outright better figure in that row, and only where one direction is unambiguously better. Weight, field of view and battery capacity are left neutral because the better direction depends entirely on what you are shooting.
Strengths and drawbacks
AKASO Brave 8 Lite
- +4K60 with bare 10 m waterproofing for under $200
- +Two batteries, a wristband remote and a mount kit in the box
- +150 minutes at 1080p is a real day's recording on the pair
- −1/2.3-inch sensor — this is a daylight camera and nothing more
- −No horizon lock
- −Stabilisation is a crop-and-smooth, not in the class of RockSteady or HyperSmooth
- −Frequently out of stock on AKASO's own store
- −No external microphone input, unlike the older Brave 7 LE
SJCAM SJ11 Active
- +5 m of bare waterproofing, which several pricier budget cameras do not offer
- +Dual screens make framing to camera possible
- +A Sony sensor and an Ambarella processor, both named by SJCAM
- +GoPro folding fingers rather than a proprietary shoe
- −Joint-smallest sensor in the catalogue at roughly 18 mm²
- −No horizon lock, and 4K caps at 30 fps
- −5 m bare covers a pool or a snorkel; anything deeper needs the case